Why do diabetic patients develop fundopathy? Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is an important cause of blindness in people over the age of 50. The prevalence of diabetic retinopathy among diabetic patients in China is as high as 44%-51.3%. The main risk factors include the duration of diabetes, poor glycemic control, hypertension and dyslipidemia, pregnancy and diabetic nephropathy. The incidence of diabetic retinopathy is 26% for those with 10-14 years of disease and 63% for those with more than 15 years of disease. Strict glycemic control is one of the most important principles in the prevention and treatment of diabetic retinopathy. Diabetic patients are also prone to other eye diseases, including cataracts, glaucoma, retinal vascular obstruction and ischemic optic neuropathy. Symptoms of diabetic retinopathy Most patients have no symptoms in the early stages. Diabetic retinopathy develops unknowingly and affects vision only in the late stage of the disease, with symptoms such as blurred vision, gradual or sudden loss of vision, black shadows in front of the eyes, distortion of vision, headache, eye pain and eye swelling. Once the disease progresses to an advanced stage, the treatment effect is extremely poor. How to prevent diabetic retinopathy Once diabetes is detected, it is necessary to find an ophthalmologist to check the fundus, and if there is no problem, a regular review once a year. Through regular eye examinations, early detection and treatment of diabetic retinopathy, as well as good control of blood sugar, blood pressure, lipids and other indicators, 90% of patients can avoid blindness. In China, only less than 10% of diabetic patients have annual regular eye examinations. Most diabetic patients only consult ophthalmology when their vision is affected, and the fundus lesion has already developed to a serious stage, missing the best time for treatment. In conclusion, it is important for patients to work together with their diabetologist and ophthalmologist to prevent diabetic retinopathy. Treatment of diabetic retinopathy Although there is no complete cure for diabetic retinopathy, the majority of patients can preserve useful vision through strict and regular medical treatment: strict control of blood glucose, blood pressure and blood lipids; regular review of the fundus, timely detection of diabetic retinopathy, and early treatment. At present, the main treatment means: 1.Laser treatment Laser treatment for early to mid-stage diabetic retinopathy can prevent further development of the lesion to avoid more serious complications. 2.Surgical treatment When diabetic retinopathy develops further and serious complications such as vitreous blood accumulation and retinal detachment occur, surgical treatment can only be taken to remove intravitreal blood accumulation, release the pull of vitreous on neovascularization, release the pull of fibrovascular tissue on the retina and reset the detached retina. 3.Anti-VEGF therapy Lucentis (Ranibizumab, Noxodes) is one of the latest anti-new blood vessel drugs, which can be injected into the vitreous cavity to treat diabetic macular edema and improve the patient’s vision, bringing good news to the majority of diabetic retinopathy patients.